The Mages of the Spiral: Death's Fury
by blackkitten13
Summary: Wizard City is in danger, and after fourteen long years, Cassandra and Emma Willow and returned to where they were born. But why did they leave in the first place? What happened fourteen years ago? Join these sisters as they embark on a quest to save this new world, making friends and enemies along the way. ((Arc 1 of Mages of the Spiral))
1. Sisters

**Chapter One: Sisters**

* * *

The sun rose gently over the horizon over the sleeping town of Denver, Colorado, light creeped into the old house near the woods. In the window of the attic, the light slid into the bedroom of the two young girls from which our story was going to begin.

The light danced across the face of the girl tucked away under the bright orange covers. The sunlight hit her face, making her groan. She blinked and opened her eyes, groaning even more. She sat up, yawning.

This girl had bright, burning brown eyes. They were narrowed as the girl stuck out her tongue at the open window. Her hair was a vibrant red and was cut short so that it fell at her shoulders. It curled at the bottom, flaring up a little. She blew her bangs out of her face, brushing them off to the right. She stared over at the bed across from her, a body tucked under the blue blankets and sleeping peacefully.

With a smirk, the girl crept over to the side of the other bed. She wrapped her fingers around the blanket and yanked it off, revealing the slowly waking girl that was formerly under the blanket.

The girl underneath opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Her pale blonde hair fell around her in tangles as she brushed it off to the left. She blinked her icy blue eyes as she yawned into her pale hand.

"Give me back my blanket, Emma…" said the blonde. "I'm cold."

"You're always cold, Cassie," said Emma with a laugh.

"Cassandra. My name is Cassandra." Emma shrugged as she threw the blanket back at Cassandra.

"Quit whining about it. I've called you Cassie for the past fourteen years. Get used to it." Emma walked over to a hatch in the middle of the room. She wrapped her finger around the handle on the hatch and opened it. Cassandra yawned and walked over to her, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. Emma pushed down the staircase that allowed the two girls to exit their room.

"Fourteen?" Cassandra asked curiously. "Em, it's thirteen. We're thirteen years old."

"As of a few hours ago we aren't," said Emma, beginning to descend the stairs. "It's September ninth, you dip."

"Our birthday…" Cassandra followed Emma down the stairs and into the second floor hallway. "Do you think Mom and Dad will be back from their trip?" Emma shrugged, putting her hands behind her head.

"Who knows?"

"Well, they did promise to be back today." Emma and Cassandra came across another staircase and headed down it. "It's your turn to make breakfast."

"Yeah, yeah…" The sisters turned into the living room and took a right, heading into the kitchen.

"Don't make anything spicy. Like those pancakes you made on Monday." Emma walked over the refrigerator and opened it, glaring at her sister as she sat at the island in the middle of the room.

"Hey, they were good!"

"Pancakes are not meant to have chili powder in them." Emma laughed.

"Come on, Cass. Live a little." Cassandra rolled her eyes as Emma got to work on making breakfast.

* * *

Emma and Cassandra ate their breakfast in peace. Luckily for Cassandra's mild tastes, Emma had not spiked her sister's breakfast. Anyway, their peace was interrupted when Emma's phone went off.

Raising an eyebrow, Emma grabbed the phone off of the table beside her. She grinned.

"It's Mom," she said excitedly as she answered. Emma put the phone on speaker and slid it to the middle of the table.

"Hello, Mom," said Cassandra as she set her fork down.

" _Hey, baby girl_ ," said their mother from over the phone. " _How are you two?_ "

"Tired," responded Emma. "Hey, are you coming back today?" There was silence on her parents end of the conversation. "Mom?"

" _Sorry, Cass. Em. We're not going to be back for a while_." Cassandra's face fell.

"Why not? You were due back today…" said the blonde. "What's wrong?"

" _Just a hold up with our plane. You know that your father and I love you very much, right?_ "

"Yes…" Emma said, her voice curious. "Mom, is everything alright?"

" _Yes, Emma. I want you two to open your birthday presents without us. Make sure your do it before ten o'clock this evening. They're in my dresser. Top drawer._ " Cassandra nodded.

"Alright. Thank you, Mom."

" _Happy birthday girls. We love you._ "

"We love you, too," said both sisters in unison before the line clicked dead. There was silence.

"Do you think they're alright?" asked Emma. Cassandra looked up at her sister with a small hum.

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked. Emma sighed, putting her head in the palm of her hand.

"She sounded… worried. Scared." Cassandra shrugged.

"She was most likely worried about us." She swallowed down the last bits of her meal. "I'm going to get ready of school."

"Hey, don't use all the hot water!"

"I make no promises."

"CASS!"

* * *

The two sisters quickly got dressed and ready for school. Emma looked at herself in the mirror.

She was dressed in a red t-shirt with a sleeveless, black denim jacket over it. She had a pair of jeans hugging her legs and red converse sneakers. She laughed at her appearance. Emma glanced over at her sister.

Cassandra was dressed in a light blue turtleneck sweater the fit her body. She had on a pair of white leggings and brown boots. She was humming softly to her herself as she braided her hair down her back. Emma walked over to her.

"Watcha humming?" she asked curiously, startling her sister. Cassandra's eyes opened and she jumped a little. Emma laughed.

"Sorry, Emma. I didn't hear you," said Cassandra with a sigh.

"What were you humming?" Cassandra laughed a little.

"You're going to think this is crazy, but I don't know. I just… knew it." Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know the words?" Cassandra nodded. "Sing 'em." Her sister turned red, but nodded slowly.

" _Listen now, for a tale to behold, it's story is as old as the cold,_ " Cassandra sang, her voice hauntingly beautiful and icy. " _A fire rages bright, as ice holds him in her might. The storm rages on, and the myths will play in their song while life and death keep each other a bay, and balance is there to keep peace at the end of the day. We shall hold this power in our hands, and protect you I hope you understand. For one day, you will be on your own, with no one but each other to hold. This is the magic you'll know, the power of flame and snow. You'll return to our world on the day we part, but know that you'll be in our hearts._ " There was a chill in the room as Cassandra finished.

"Where did you learn that?" Emma asked. Cassandra shrugged in response.

"I just knew it." Emma hummed a bit. She glanced over at the clock on the nearby dresser. Her eyes widened.

"Cass, grab your bag and whatever book you're into this week, we gotta go!" Emma raced over, grabbing her schoolbag off of her bed. Cassandra raised her eyebrow and her sister's behaviour.

"Why are you in such a rush?" she asked.

"It's 7:15, that's why! Do you want to miss the bus!?" Cassandra's eyes widened. She snatched up her bag and the book on a nearby table. The two sisters quickly ran down both flights of stairs and out the door, racing to the to their bus stop on time.

* * *

Cassandra sat outside of her school, a book in her hand and her lunch beside her as she sat on a bench underneath the shade of a tree. It had long since been finished, and now the blonde was enjoying her time alone in peace and quiet.

Her fingers curled tightly around her book. She had found it in the small library she had made for herself in one of the spare rooms in her home. She had never seen the book before. Its cover was brown leather with golden corners. On the front was a golden spiral. The book was a mystery to her. Which is why she was so pulled in by its words. It was by far her favorite.

The book gave details of magic and magical beings. And right now, Cassandra was reading the section on magic.

" _Ice Magic is all about persistence, slow but steady progression and advancement, like the great glaciers forever sliding across the landscape. Those who embrace the power of Ice, known as Thaumaturges, exhibit great patience and strength, but as a result they sometimes become rigid and inflexible. Thaumaturges use Chants to bargain or plead with Ice creatures to serve them,"_ Cassandra muttered under her breath as she read the page. " _Ice Masters train their students to take high amounts of damage and survive. Ice Wizards have the highest natural health and defenses which enable them to take large amounts of damage without dying. It is very hard to defeat them. A lot of their functional spells have to do with increasing their defenses and absorbing damage. They also have the ability to taunt enemies, which forces the enemy to focus attacks on them. This can come in handy when battling together."_ Cassandra smiled a little as she turned continued reading. " _Ice Magic has its origins in the great Ice Giants, a race of Titans that build massive castles in the sky in th-"_ Cassandra was cut off from her reading when the book was pulled from her hands. Her icy eyes darted upwards. Standing in front of her were three girls, the one in the center holding her book.

"Casey, can I please have my book back?" Cassandra asked, holding her hand out. "I don't want any trouble."

"I sometime think that you spend too much time in that fantasy world of yours," said the middle girl, Casey. "You're not ready anything!"

"Yeah, the pages are blank," said another girl. Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"No, they aren't," she said. "The pages have words on them. The book is about magic. I think it might be a spell-" The trio of girls laughed.

"A spellbook?" said the girl to the right. "What are you? Some kind of witch?"

"I never said-"

"Yeah, little Cassandra Willow is a witch!"

"Do you know what you do with witches?" said Casey. "You burn them." Cassandra's eyes widened.

"W-W-We're on school grounds…" Cassandra stuttered out. "You're not allowed to have a-" Casey handed the book off to another girl and grabbed Cassandra by her wrist, pulling her up. She tried to pull away, only to fail.

"Let me go, Casey!" she shouted. She kept her fingers crossed that a certain someone heard her. Casey pulled out a lighter from her pocket.

"What do you say girls? Burn the witch?" The girl flicked the lighter on, and Cassandra closed her eyes. The burn never came. She opened her eyes to see Emma standing in front of her, her hand placed firmly on the lighter, right where the flame should have been.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. Emma pulled the lighter from Casey's hands and dropped it on the ground. "First off, leave my sister alone. Second, do you want your dad to know you have something like a lighter on the grounds?" Casey let go of Cassandra. The blonde took her chance and snatched her book back, clutching it tightly to her chest. Before either girl could exchange another word, a bell rang from inside the school. The upperclassmen shot a look at the sisters, and walked into the school. Emma sighed and picked the lighter up off the ground, stuffing it in her pocket.

"Are you okay, Emma?" asked Cassandra. Emma turned to her sister. She smiled.

"What?" said the redhead.

"The lighter was lit." Before Emma could protest, Cassandra grabbed her hand to take a look at it. The twins eyes widened. Emma's hand was unscahted. The girls locked eyes for a moment. Cassandra laughed a little. "I must have been seeing things…"

"Yeah…" Emma said as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "What was going on anyway?" Cassandra looked down at her book.

"They thought I was a witch… because of my book…" Emma slung her arm around Cassandra's shoulder with a grin.

"They're just jealous of you, Cass." Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Because you have such an awesome sister like me to help you out!" Cassandra laughed.

"That's not even relevant…" She sighed. "Thank you, Emma."

"No prob." The two girls began to walk back to school. "Hey, can you read me a little from your magicky book?" Cassandra nodded, opening to a random page in the book.

" _Fire is passion, the bright, burning flame of raw emotion sweeping over everything. Those who follow the Fire Magic, known as Pyromancers, are tempestuous, very smart, quick to anger, and consumed by whatever drives them at that moment. They tend to walk a fine line, having great passion and enthusiasm for one's loves in life is good, but watch out! Passion can burn you up and consume you, leaving nothing but a charred husk of your former self. Pyromancers use Incantations to dominate and convince Fire creatures to do their bidding…"_

* * *

Somewhere in an unknown location, an old man was standing over a crystal ball. He had white hair and a long beard. A moncle covered his blue eyes. He wore blue robes decorated with stars and moons, and a crooked, pointed hat as well. He held a staff in his hands, in which was a blue orb.

"Is the spell working?" asked a gray owl standing over on her perch. The old man nodded.

"Yes. After fourteen long years, I have found them," said the man. He waved a hand over the crystal ball. An image waved in the crystal, forming to show Emma and Cassandra, both girls in their kitchen once more, setting up for their third meal of the day. Emma was at the stove, while Cassandra was reading her book aloud "There they are!" The owl flew a little closer.

"They look just like Miranda and Caleb, may they rest in peace," said the owl. "Where are they?" .

"In a very distant realm…" The old man gasped with shock. "Goodness, they are in a world that does not even believe in magic!"

"The blonde girl does not seem to disbelieve," said the owl. "She is reading Miranda's spellbook rather intently." The man took a closer look.

"This may be easier than I believed it to be." The man turned away from the crystal. "I will prepare the spell. At ten o'clock tonight, we shall cast the spell and return them home."

* * *

Cassandra sighed as she dropped her plate in the sink. The day had been rather uneventful, save for what happened at school.

"Are you ready for bed?" she asked her sister, who was laying on the couch. Emma waved her hand.

"Yeah, you head upstairs and get ready," said Emma. "I'll go grab our b-day presents from Mom and Dad's room." Cassandra looked over at Emma.

"That's right. Mom wanted us to open our gift before ten o'clock…" Cassandra grabbed her book from off of the table. "I'll meet you upstairs." Cassandra raced up the staircase to the attic. Emma swung her legs over and got up, heading for their parents' bedroom.

* * *

Emma opened the hatch and crawled up into their bedroom. Cassandra was sitting on the floor waiting for her. Her book was in her lap.

"You're a little obsessed with that book, aren't you?" said Emma as she dropped down in front of her sister. Cassandra shrugged.

"I don't know, but it's rather interesting," said the blonde. "The details about magic in here make it seem like magic does exist." Emma laughed.

"Whatever you say magic girl." Cassandra rolled her eyes as she looked at the package in her sister's hands. Emma plucked a letter that was on top of it. She unfolded it with a raised eyebrow.

"What is it?" Cassandra asked. "What does it say?"

" _If you two are reading this, it is the eve of your fourteenth birthday,_ " Emma read out loud. " _Just know, that we are proud of you and we love you. We hope to see you two again. The fire belongs to you, Emma. And the ice belongs to Cassandra. Happy birthday."_

"Hope to see you again?" Cassandra asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, you know Dad and his dramatics." Emma folded the letter and placed it to the side. She opened the package and gasped. Drawing her fingers from inside the package, she pulled out a necklace. It was a ruby shaped to look like a flame. It was on a golden chain.

"Emma…" Cassandra breathed out. "That's beautiful…" Emma slid the package over to Cassandra. Cassandra dug her fingers in the package, withdrawing another necklace. It was a sapphire shaped like a snowflake. It hung on a silver chain.

"How much do you think Mom and Dad…" Emma said.

"It doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts, right?" Emma nodded. She and her sister slid their necklaces over their heads. It was then that the clock struck ten.

A bright, blue light began to glow from under the sisters. They stood up in a shocked panic, with Cassandra clutching her book to her chest.

"Emma?! What the heck is this?!" shouted Cassandra in a panic.

"Do you think I would know?!" Emma yelled back. "You're the one with the magic book!"

"I thought it was fake! You know, one of Dad's jokes!" The room began to turn white around them. The girls shielded their eyes as the light engulfed them. In a flash, both Emma and Cassandra Willow disappeared from their bedroom in Denver, Colorado.


	2. The Tower

**Chapter Two: The Tower**

* * *

The two sisters landed on the ground with a thud, one girl on top of the other.

"Emma…?" said Cassandra wearily. "Are you alright?" Emma groaned from under her sister's weight.

"Cass," hissed the redhead. "Get. Off. Me." Cassandra quickly rolled off of her sister before pulling her to her feet. "You okay? Nothing broken? Nothing bleeding?" Cassandra nodded.

"I don't feel like I'm bleeding. And I can move, so nothing is broken." The two girls took their next chance to observe their surroundings. It was an area surrounded by tall, stone walls. Off to the side was a blocked cave, and behind them was a sealed exit. In the center stood a tall tower, with lit windows and purple rooves. The stars were shining brightly in the night sky.

"Cass. Where the heck are we?" Emma asked. Cassandra spun around, looking. Her eyes widened. She opened her book, flipping through the pages. "This is not really a time to be reading."

"I know," said Cassandra. "It's just that… Ah ha! Found it!" Cassandra turned the book to face her sister. On the page in a detailed drawing of where the girls were standing, along with a map of the area. Emma's eyes widened.

"But your book is fake. Magic isn't real." Cassandra sighed and turned the book back to face her.

"Apparently we're in someplace called Golem Court." Cassandra cleared her throat as she began to read aloud from the page. " _Golem Court is a neutral area- an area with no creatures. Inside this area is the Golem Tower. Golem Tower is a tower that is located in Golem Court, Wizard City. The tower is in the center, and it can be seen from The Commons. There are many Towers wizards will encounter, where they will fight enemies on multiple levels to get to their objective. Golem Tower must be done solo, and leaving the tower at any time will cause it to reset. No one can teleport in while a wizard is fighting_." Emma eyed the tower.

"Why do you think its called 'Golem Tower'?" she asked. Cassandra closed her book, holding it in her arms.

"I don't know," replied the blonde. "But I'm more worried about what creatures the book was talking about… I haven't gotten that far into it yet…" Emma sighed.

"But… what happened? What the heck happened when we put these on?" Emma lifted her necklace for her sister to see. Cassandra shrugged. The two girls couldn't talk any more on the matter. There was a flash of blue in front of them. Once it faded, an old man and an owl remained. The man had a long white beard, was dressed in moon and star robes and carried a staff. The owl was gray and sat on a perch. The sisters exchanged glances before looking at the man in bewilderment.

"Well, hello!" said the man cheerfully. "If it isn't our newest students!" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Students?" she mouthed towards Cassandra. Cassandra shrugged a little. She turned to the man.

"I'm sorry if we're a little confused. but did you say students?" asked the younger twin. The man nodded.

"Yes," he said. "My name is Merle Ambrose. I am the headmaster of the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts." Cassandra's eyes lit up.

"Magic…?" Emma said suspiciously. She laughed nervously. "Magic doesn't exist."

"But it does, as you can see. And it runs through the veins of both you and your sister. Only question that remains is what manner of wizards you both are. However, it has already been decided."

"We don't get to choose?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "That seems a little harsh." Cassandra elbowed her sister.

"I'm sorry about my sister, Professor Ambrose," she said. "Although I have to agree with her. What do you mean that it has already been decided?"

"Every student must take a test to determine what type of wizard they will turn out to be," Ambrose explained. "However, in the case of you both, you have already been chosen by your schools." Emma looked down at the necklace around her neck. That's when it clicked.

"Do you mean when we put these things on, we chose our schools?" she asked. Ambrose shook his head.

"No, far long before that. On the day you were born, I believe." The eyes of the sisters widened. "If only one of you had been born, then you would be able to chose between the two schools. However, since both of you were born at the same time, the powers split, each going to one of you."

"What kind of wizards are we?" asked Cassandra with a faint smile, trying to change the subject in order to stay away from any confusion. Ambrose laughed.

"You're rather excited, aren't you Miss…? I'm sorry, I never found out your names."

"My name is Cassandra. Cassandra Willow."

"I'm Emma Willow," Emma said with a little wave. "So… can you tell us what we are or are you going to keep it in suspense?"

"Ah yes," said Ambrose. "We expect great thing from the both of you, but first things first. Miss Cassandra has been chosen by the School of Ice." The headmaster waved his staff. Cassandra glowed a faint blue. When it faded, her clothing had changed. She was wearing a wizard's hat, robes, leggings and boots. All which were an icy blue with a white trim. Cassandra's eyes lit up even more as she spun around, looking at herself. "Miss Emma, you have been chosen by the School of Fire." With another wave, Emma glowed blue. When it faded, she was dressed similarly to her sister. The only difference was that her robes were red with orange trim. "Oh my, if only your parents could see you now, following in their footsteps." Emma and Cassandra looked upward, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Excuse me," said Cassandra, "But did you say our parents?"

"Why yes. They were wizards as well. Miranda and Caleb Ward. Two of the greatest."

"Our parents names are Jesse and Lauren…" Emma breathed out. "So, what? We were adopted or something?"

"You don't know the story? Did they not tell you?" The girls shook their heads. "My word. Well, your parents were both a pyromancer and thaumaturge as well. Why, you two even look like them. Miranda and Caleb were among seven wizards who were guarded with the task of protecting the Spiral, which is the universe we live in. Eventually, they fell in love and married despite how different they were. It wasn't long before you two girls were born. However, on the eve of your birth-" Before Ambrose could finish his story, clouds gathered overhead. Thunder clapped loudly, causing Emma to latch on to Cassandra. From the tower, there was the audible sound of something breaking. Ambrose looked up at the window at the top of the tower as a silhouette crossed in front of it.

"Whooo?" the owl said loudly. Both sisters shook it off as just an owl noise.

"How odd…" muttered Ambrose. "Come along, you two. Let's investigate the matter! Meet me in the tower!" The professor walked inside of the tower.

"Yooou'd best follow the headmaster. You're safe with him," said the owl. The girls stared over at the bird.

"A talking owl," said Emma. "Given what's happened today, I'm not surprised."

"To the tower!" The sisters exchanged a look.

"Should we go?" asked Cassandra. "I'm a bit worried about what's in there…"

"We should. You heard what the old man and the owl said," Emma told her. "He's expecting us to be great as our parents were apparently. And we're safe with him." Emma grabbed her sister by the hand. "Come on!" And with that, the sisters raced into the tower.

* * *

The girls ran up the stairs of the tower, the heavy rain pounding against the windows. When they got to the top of the tower, they found a door. Emma opened it. The door opened up to a circular room. The girls entered and stood behind Professor Ambrose, who had just seemed to enter himself. Across from them, was another man who made chills run their spines.

He wore black robes, and held a dragon staff in his hands. The dragon was curled around a red crystal. The man had long, black hair and facial hair as well. His black eyes that gave off a cold stare.

"Malistaire!" said Ambrose.

"Ambrose," the man, Malistaire, sneered.

"You are no longer welcome here! Why have you returned?" The girls locked fingers together as they felt fear rushing through their veins.

"I came to resolve our unfinished business." Malistaire caught sight of the twins. "Are these your latest students?" Emma narrowed her eyes, pushing Cassandra behind her slightly. "My henchmen will deal with these children!" With a wave of his hand, Malistaire summoned two, dragon-like beings.

"Hurry along, girls. Take this deck of spell cards and deal with those creatures while I tend to Malistaire himself!" Ambrose tossed the pair a deck of assorted colored cards. Emma caught them in her hand, splitting them with Cassandra.

"Don't be so sure of yourself old man."

"Run up and confront them. Be brave. I will guide you." The sisters exchanged glances. As if using ESP, they nodded confidently. If what Emma said was true, then a lot of people were expecting something great from the sisters.

"Let's do this, we have to be brave," Emma muttered.

"Right. I trust you," responded Cassandra. They ran out from behind the professor and confronted the dragon men. A circle formed beneath their feet. Clouds swirled within the circle, along with several symbols and even more intricate ones on the outside. As if on a whim, Emma and Cassandra walked over to two smaller circles on one end. The dragons took their place on two circles on the other end.

"Is this how wizards fight each other?" Emma muttered to Cassandra. Cassandra nodded.

"I remember reading about this," she said. "It's called a wizard's duel." Emma nodded.

"You must draw your spell cards from your deck. Due to the single deck, only one of you can attack at a time," Ambrose instructed from behind them. "Quickly, one of you must choose a spell, and use it to attack one of Malistaire's henchmen." Emma drew a random card from the deck. However, the dragons were to attack first. The first dragon drew a blue symbol that resembled a snowflake in the air, hissing something as he went. An icy area formed on the circle. From it, an beetle made of pure ice emerged from it. The beetle ran at Cassandra, ramming into her.

"Cass!" Emma shouted. Cassandra waved her off.

"I'm fine, Emma," she said, her voice stressed. It was then that the second dragon drew a symbol that looked like a scale. A portal formed above the center circle. Out of it rolled a giant scorpion. It eyed Emma, and charged forward, pinching her legs. Emma hissed at the pain.

She looked at the card in her hand.

"Cass, what do I do?"

"You need to draw the symbol in the air on the back of the card," Cassandra recited, remembering what she had read from her book. "And chant the spell."

"I don't know any spells!"

"Just try!" Emma sighed and looked down at the card. She flipped it over. Raising her hand, she copied the drawing the best she could, creating what looked like a red flame. She looked down at the card. Written under the name of the card was the words to cast it.

" _Ignis Felis!_ " she chanted as she finished drawing the symbol. As soon as Emma chanted the words, the symbol disappeared, and the card returned to the deck. A flame erupted in the center of the circle, forming into what looked like a tiger made of fire. It jumped at the first dragon, cutting it across the face before disappearing back into flames.

"Now do you believe?" asked Cassandra.

"Not really." Emma winced. "But that scorpion got me good…"

"Oh my, you're hurt!" said Ambrose from behind, causing the girls to look at him. "You'll need to pay attention to your current health."

"How do we do that?" Cassandra said curiously.

"That's right. I had forgotten." Ambrose waved his staff. Emma's and Cassandra's wrists glowed for a second before fading. On their left wrists were thick bracelets, which looked more like wristbands than anything. Emma's was gold, and Cassandra's was silver. In the center of each wristband was an oval, which had a symbol on it. Cassandra's was blue with an icy blue snowflake on it. Emma's was orange with a red flame in the center. On both girls' bands were a red crystal ball to the left, and a blue crystal ball to the right. Each were colored with fluid, some of which was deplenished. "The red crystal ball shows your health. Just tap it to view how much health you have left." Emma, out of curiousity, tapped the red ball. Yellow numbers popped up from it, showing her health was around four hundred. "The blue crystal ball shows how much Mana you have left. Mana is magical energy. If you run out of Mana, you won't be able to cast any more spells. When your out of Mana, you'll be at the mercy…" The headmaster blinked. "Why so distracted?"

"We're kinda being attacked!" said Emma.

"We're under attack?! Oh my, call me a fool… I had all but forgotten! Quickly, attack his henchmen again." With a small nod, Cassandra drew a card from her half of the deck. Like before, the dragons attacked first.

The first dragon drew out the scale and summoned another scorpion. It aimed at Cassandra, spraying venom out of its tail at her before vanished. Cassandra coughed before straightening out.

The second dragon drew a black symbol, which vaguely looked like a skull. The center filled with water, from which a small island rose. On the island was a skeleton dressed to look like a pirate. The skeleton suddenly stood, starling both girls. It went to Emma and struck her, barely cutting into her body. However, the spell still did damage.

Cassandra looked at the card she had drawn. She drew the symbol on the back- at triangle with an eye in it- and cast her spell.

" _Gígas!_ " shouted Cassandra. The card returned to the deck. A figure formed in the center of the circle. It was an ugly green being dressed in brown cloth and holding a club.

"A troll?" Cassandra muttered under her breath. The troll swung its club around and threw it at the second dragon and disappeared. While the sisters had done some damage, the girls looked a little worse for wear.

"Aha! You doddering fool!" said Malistaire, sounding pleased. "Your students are no match for my forces!"

"Oh no, you're in trouble!" Ambrose exclaimed. Emma rolled her eyes. Of course they were. She had almost been cut into pieces, and Cassandra was poisoned. Well, she was coughing for the tenth time. "Quickly, use the Unicorn spell and cast it on yourselves. It will replenish your health, and will work on the both of you." Emma shifted through her half of the deck, as Cassandra had begun coughing again. The redhead came across a green card with a unicorn on it. She looked across to the dragons with her fingers crossed behind her back.

The first dragon drew a symbol that looked like a lightning bolt. The circle filled with water. A jagged fin swam in a circle around it. Emma tensed. She hated marine life, and was afraid of water. Why was a long story that we don't have time for. We have a battle to get on with!

The fin swam towards Emma. It jumped out of the water, revealing a large shark. It jumped out of the water again, swallowing down Emma before disappearing.

"That was disgusting…" Emma muttered. The second dragon passed on his turn, allowing Emma to cast the spell she was instructed to.

The elder twin drew a green leaf like symbol in the air, casting the spell.

" _Yunikōn!_ " she chanted. The circle turned into a grassy green area with flowers and everything. In the center, a brilliant unicorn appeared. It whinnied and walked towards Emma, bowing down to her. A light on its horn glowed, and the pyromancer was surrounded in green light, levitating her in the air a little. Emma felt any wound she had fading and knitting back together, as if it was never there. The unicorn turned to Cassandra, performing the same action. Cassandra laughed a little, as she had finally stopped coughing from the venom.

"Foolish creatures! You let the young whelps heal!" Malistaire snapped. The twins looked up at him. "Defeat the whelp or suffer for it! Use your spells to weaken the children's spells!" Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra noticed the headmaster behind them wave his staff.

"Here, young wizards," he said. "Take some more pips. They power your spells." Raising an eyebrow curiously, Cassandra looked down at her feet. Outside of the circle she was standing on, there were several small balls of light illuminating her circle. She looked over at Emma's to see a similar thing. "The more pips you have, the stronger the spells you can cast! Quickly, pick another spell and cast it at them." Cassandra sorted through her half of the deck, pulling out a green card. She looked across to the dragons. The first one had passed on his turn. The second dragon drew a scale symbol. Instead of something appearing in the circle, a spiked shield appeared in front of Cassandra near her feet, and began to circle around her. She blinked, wondering what it would do. She looked down at her card, drawing the leaf symbol in front of her.

" _Shizen no ikari!_ " she shouted. The circle became like a forest floor. A tree sprouted from the floor, A tree-like man grew out of the ground, looking at the second dragon. Before it attacked, the shield in front of Cassandra broke. The tree grabbed a large rock from the ground and threw it at the dragon. While it should have done a significant amount of damage, the boulder seemed to barely even hurt him.

"At last, you fools earn your keep!" ordered Malistaire. "Now, finish the wizards."

"Cast Balance Blade on yourself," Ambrose advised the girls. "It will increase the power of next spell the one who has it casts!" The girls shuffled through their decks. In the end, Cassandra pulled out the card. The dragons moved to attack first. The first dragon drew the flame. A large bird made out of pure flame erupted from the circle. A phoenix. It shot fire from its beak at Emma, which didn't seem to do too much damage to her, seeing as she was a pyromancer. However, she was burned a little bit.

The second dragon drew the leaf. The circle once again grew into a forest floor. Out of nowhere, a half-man half-horse creature appeared.

"What is that…?" Emma asked. Cassandra hummed for a second, recalling her memory.

"A centaur," she said. The centaur drew back the bow he had in his hands, aiming at Cassandra. He fired the arrow. It landed right at Cassandra's feet. From the arrow, a tree sprouted and wrapped around her. It broke apart and pulled back. The splinters hit her, digging into her flesh. She shook the splinters off of her hands and looked down at the card in her hands.

Cassandra drew the scale symbol in front of her.

" _Lann Iarmhéid!_ " she shouted. Instead of something forming in the circle, a shield appeared eye level to the girls. Instead of appearing in front of Cassandra, it appeared in front of Emma.

"Why did you do that?!" asked Emma.

"You're stronger than I am," Cassandra replied. "I've read about the different types of wizards, remember? Thaumaturges like myself are more adept at defenses, not offense." Emma blinked before understanding what her sister was saying: _Cast the next spell. Finish them off._

Emma sorted through her half of the deck. Her eyes began to sparkle when she came across a red card. She showed it to Cassandra, who nodded. The next round of the battle began.

The first dragon drew another triangle eye. The circle turned into a green area with crumbled ruins. A half-bull, half-human appeared. A minotaur, as Cassandra had called it. It pointed at Emma. He swung the axe he had in his hands, creating sharp gusts of wind that cut into Emma's arms.

The second dragon drew the triangle eye as well. Out of nowhere, three pigs landed in the middle of the circle. They were dressed as ninjas, which made the girls suppress giggles of laughter at the spell. The pigs jumped into the air, throwing the swords they had in their hands. They grazed by Cassandra, making her jump. Emma narrowed her eyes as she looked at the card in her hand. She drew the flame.

" _Meteoron Percusserit!_ " she chanted. Small portals appeared above the circle. Several meteors fell from them, landing in front of the dragons. At last, two meteors struck them, one each. The dragons fell to the ground, and erupted into flames before disappearing. The duelling circle beneath the girls vanished. The sisters ran at each other, cheering in victory.

"Excellent work, girls!" said Ambrose, causing the smiling sisters to look at him. "Now, let me see to Malistaire. Threatening two students before orientation, no less!"

"Another time, old man. I have what I came for," said Malistaire as he waved his staff. "And now I take my leave of this wretched place." The black-robed man disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Emma and Cassandra looked down at where he once stood, their minds in a flurry.

"He's gone, and none too soon. What sinister goal brought him here?"Ambrose hummed in deep thought. Emma turned to Cassandra.

"You alright, Cass?" she asked. Cassandra nodded.

"Yes," answered the blonde. "I'm battered and bruised, but I'm fine." The girls walked over to the man behind them.

"Oh my, you two look a little worse for wear," he said. "Here, let me restore you both to full health and mana." Ambrose waved his staff. Green light circled around the girls, healing their wounds and injuries that they may have acquired.

"Thank you, Professor Ambrose," said Cassandra, bowing her head slightly to show gratitude.

"It's quite alright."

"But what about Malistaire?" asked Emma, pointing over her shoulder to where the man stood a while ago.

"I don't know. But, on the bright side, congratulations! Defeating Malistaire's henchmen earned you some experience." The sisters exchanged glances.

"Experience?" asked Cassandra. "What do you mean by that?"

"At the bottom of your wristbands, there should be a bar." Emma held up her left wrist. On her golden band, there was a bar filled with green fluid to a good measure. It was segmented into ten pieces. Cassandra took a look at hers, which looked similar to her sister's. "The experience bar will help you track your progress. When the bar fills up, you will gain a level and will have access to more spells, making you stronger."

"Cool…" said Emma as she ran her fingers along the bar. Yellow numbers appeared above it, along with a few words. EMMA WILLOW: LEVEL 1 PYROMANCER. 33/45. "Thirty-three? That's how much experience we got, right?" Ambrose nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"Each wizard team must have a spellbook. Your sister possesses one already, as I see."

"Wizard team?" asked Cassandra curiously. "What does that mean?"

"Each wizard is paired with a partner. They may fight and train alone if they wish, but we have very few teams left. Everyone works at their own pace, but no seems to able to work as one." Emma linked her fingers with Cassandra's.

"You don't have to worry," the redhead said. "Cass and I always have each other's back. We've been a team since we were born!" Emma laughed, as did the headmaster.

"You each will also need a wand and your own deck of spells." Ambrose waved his staff. Two wands appeared in the girls' hands. "There you go. No young wizard should be without them." Emma looked down at her wand. It was brown, with gold rings on the bottom and near the top. At the top was a small, red crystal with two yellow wing-shaped pieces of metal on either side. It looked like a phoenix.

Cassandra held up her wand. It was navy and appeared like an icicle. It was topped with an icy blue crystal, taking the shape of a snowflake. Each girl also held a small box in their hands, which they guessed their spell cards were in. Cassandra bowed her head once again.

"Thank you sir," she said.

"You're welcome. I should say, girls, that I was quite impressed with your courage." Emma nudged her sister, as if saying "I told you so." Cassandra looked down at the ground, turning bright red. "There is little doubt that a great destiny awaits the both of you. Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll be able to fill your parents' shoes." The girls exchanged a look. "But now, if you'll excuse me, it is rather late. I have a mountain of duties to attend to, which includes your enrollment. I have made accommodations for you for the night. There is an inn near the library with a room waiting for you. Please come to my office in the morning. See you soon!"

"But Professor-" Cassandra tried to say, but Ambrose disappeared before she could. "What about… our… parents…" She sighed. Both girls then quickly left the tower.

* * *

The girls walked out of Golem Court. The exit was no longer sealed. Cassandra and Emma were able to find the library quite easily. Emma joked saying that Cassandra was naturally drawn to books, making it easier for the girls to find the place.

Emma dropped down onto one of the beds in their room, sighing.

"What do you think Ambrose meant by 'filling our parents' shoes'?" she asked. "I mean, the only thing we know about them is that they were in the same schools as us, and they were pretty powerful." Cassandra shrugged, sitting on a nearby chair.

"I don't know," she said. "But maybe we could find out something about them. Their names were Caleb and Miranda Ward, right?"

"Yeah." Emma sat up. "Maybe we can ask Ambrose to finish his story tomorrow." Cassandra hummed as she flipped open her book, hoping to find something new to read. Emma reached over to her things that she had dropped at the end of it. She took her spell deck and opened the box, dumping the cards in her hands.

"We only got two spells," she said. Cassandra hummed and looked up.

"What do you mean?" the younger asked. Emma drew the two of the cards in her deck. The others were copies of the card.

"I got _Fire Cat_ and _Fire Minor Strike_. What about you?" Cassandra picked up her spell deck, pulling out her two cards.

" _Frost Beetle_ and _Ice Minor Strike_." Cassandra put the cards back in her deck, and picked her book back up. Emma grabbed a pillow and threw it at her.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"It's late. Bed. Now." Cassandra sighed, closing the book. "I wanna get up bright and early for this whole 'Ravenwood' thing." The blonde began to laugh as Emma began to get in one of the beds. "What?"

"So you believe this is all real, now?" Emma narrowed her eyes for a second before sighing. She crawled under the blanket. Cassandra put her spell book on the desk nearby and slid into the other bed.

"Yes," said Emma, turning over to face her sister. Cassandra laughed. "Good night, Cass."

"'Night, Em." And with that, the light went out and the twins fell asleep, unaware of the turn their lives were about to take.


	3. Unicorn Way

**Chapter Three: Unicorn Way**

* * *

The next morning, the girls awoke early in order to get a start on their enrollment at Ravenwood. And to maybe find out the truth about their parents.

Emma looked at the spellbook Cassandra had begun obsessed with as her sister tied her hair back into a ponytail. She tapped the book.

"Where do you suggest you keep that until we need it?" Emma asked. Cassandra shrugged.

"I put my spell deck in my bag," she said, tapping the bag at her waist before sliding her wand in her belt. "I'll carry it in there." Emma raised an eyebrow.

"In that bag?" Cassandra nodded.

"I think it's like Hermione's bag from the seventh Harry Potter book. Enchanted to be bigger on the inside."

"Okay…?" Cassandra walked over to the door. Emma looked down at her spell deck. She swiped it up and dropped it in her bag. Surprisingly, it fit and didn't feel heavy at all. She kept her wand in her hand.

"You might want to hurry up. Professor Ambrose is waiting for us." Cassandra left the room.

"Cass, wait up!" Emma dashed after her sister. They walked through the halls of the inn. Emma looked over at her sister. "What's with the ponytail?" Cassandra shrugged.

"I didn't have enough time to braid my hair like I always do. Maybe a new school, new hairstyle?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"That makes no sense."

"I know."

* * *

The two girls walked out of the inn and into the Commons, where many other wizards were gathered. They were talking, studying and going about their business. Emma stuck her tongue out at a group of girls staring at them.

"Just because we're new, doesn't mean they have to do that," She said. Cassandra had her nose in her spellbook.

"They're laughing because of our amulets," she said. "I did some reading at breakfast this morning. Apparently their special or something. I didn't get much farther. Something about each amulet marking a mage?" Cassandra shrugged as Emma leaned over her shoulder.

"What are you reading?"

"I'm reading about the Commons." She cleared her throat before reading aloud. "T _he Commons plays a double role in Wizard City. It serves as a connection point to the majority of the important neutral areas, such as the Shopping District and Ravenwood, and is an area that nearly all wizarding students go to recharge their health and mana through regeneration and wisps respectively. They also spend plenty of their time here. The water from the pond and river that runs through here are stated to be exceptionally pure_." Cassandra closed her book and put it in her bag. "The headmaster's office and home is straight up ahead." She pointed over to the home in front of them. The girls quickened their pace. They passed through a large gate before jogging up to the front door. Emma knocked on it. There was a voice from behind it, allowing them entry. Cassandra opened the door and walked inside.

Just before the girls could get inside, two people rushed past them. They couldn't get a good look at their faces, but Emma narrowed her eyes.

"Jerks…" she muttered before the two went inside, shutting the door behind them.

The office they had entered had red walls and black-and-white tiled floors. Books and papers were stacked and piled everywhere. The headmaster stood next to a glowing crystal ball.

"Good morning, Professor Ambrose," said Cassandra as she bowed her head. The professor looked up at them.

"Welcome to Wizard City, Emma and Cassandra Willow," said Ambrose as the the girls walked towards him. "I'm afraid things are rather hectic at the moment." Emma raised an eyebrow, putting her hands behind her head.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a problem on Unicorn Way that absolutely must be dealt with before we get you enrolled." Emma sighed.

"Boo. So far, this day isn't off to good start," she said, causing Cassandra to elbow her. "Hey!"

"Emma, be polite," said the younger.

"I have an idea!" the headmaster said suddenly, causing the two to look at him. "Perhaps, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, you might take a look? You may be able to help."

"What do you say, Cass?" asked Emma. "Should we help? I mean, whatever it is we should be able to stamp it out. We did defeat those dragon-things last night."

"It will also let you see more of Wizard City." Cassandra hummed and nodded.

"I think Emma and I could do it," she said, her smile faint. The headmaster smiled and handed Emma a letter sealed with an ornate wax seal.

"Please deliver this letter to Private Stillson at the Unicorn Way gate. He will let you through," Ambrose instructed. The girls nodded and headed out of the office.

* * *

Emma stared at the letter as they left Professor Ambrose's home.

"So, we do this and we get enrolled?" she asked. Cassandra nodded. Emma shrugged and let her arm fall. "So, what does your book say about Unicorn Way, anyway?" Cassandra hummed a bit as they took a turn. She pulled her spellbook out, flipping it open to the page describing Unicorn Way.

" _Unicorn Way is the only street that is closest to the Commons. It is named for the Unicorn Statue in its park. Many of the Theurgists in Wizard City call this place home, and is the source of Life Magic in Wizard City. Unicorn Way is home to the fairies, which makes it a rather unique place to visit. It is also home to the Wizard City Dueling Arena_ ," Cassandra recited before she put her book away. "Fairies, huh? That seems rather interesting."

"Fairies. Like, the ones you painted on our wall in the fourth grade?" Cassandra turned bright red as they walked over a bridge overlooking a waterfall. Not to far ahead, there was a soldier standing at a gate. On the gate, there was a sign that read: "Unicorn Way". The girls walked up to the soldier.

"None shall pass!" he said. Cassandra held back a little laugh. "Unicorn Way is off limits. There are ghosts everywhere!" While Emma remained calm, Cassandra paled a little bit.

"Ghosts?" she said. "There are ghosts?!" Emma elbowed her sister.

"Come on, be cool," said the elder of the two. After a moment, Emma snickered. Cassandra gave her a look. "Sorry, its just that pun was perfect." Cassandra sighed.

"Show him the letter." Emma blinked.

"Oh! Right!" Emma held up the letter so Private Stillson could see it. "We have permission from Ambrose. We're here to help with the problem." The guard took the letter and looked at it before handing it back.

"Looks legit," he said. "I'll let you pass. Show this to Private Connelly on Unicorn Way."

"Will do!" Emma grabbed her sister by the wrist as they walked through the tunnel to Unicorn Way.

* * *

The girls took a second to observe their new surroundings. A great deal of Unicorn Way was green. Which in all cases made sense, seeing as the area was known for Life Magic. Across the way, there was a park with the unicorn statue Cassandra had described.

"Hey, there's Private Connelly," said Cassandra, pointing over to the only soldier in the plaza they stood in. The twins walked over to the man.

"What are you two students doing here?" he asked as soon as he saw them. Emma handed him the letter.

"Ambrose sent us," she said. Connelly opened and read the letter. He looked back at the girls once he was finished.

"You're very brave to bring this to me. Be careful going farther down Unicorn Way. The street is dangerous. Two wizards have gone down there, and I have yet to see them come back. Beware!"

"Y-Y-Yes, sir…" Cassandra said nervously. Suddenly, the bar on the girl's wristband filled up. Curiously, Cassandra took a look at her wristband. The experience bar was down a little lower. Out of curiosity, she tapped it.

 _CASSANDRA WILLOW. LEVEL 2 THAUMATURGE. 63/160._

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to question how that earned us any experience," she said with a sigh. She turned to Private Connelly. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright," said the soldier before he changed the subject. "Your arrival is a blessing! We need help fending off the ghost on Unicorn Way. Some dark forces have risen, and we don't have enough guards to stop them!"

"So… do you want us to stop the ghosts?" Cassandra said, her voice nervous.

"Yes. If you could dispel the Lost Souls." Cassandra laughed nervously. The term "Lost Souls" was far better than using the word "ghosts". Emma gave a fake solute.

"Yes, sir!" she said before turning to her sister. "What do you say, Cass? You brave enough?" Cassandra looked down at her wand. She nodded.

"Yes," she answered. "We'll do it." The girls waved goodbye and headed off farther into Unicorn Way.

* * *

They weren't too far into the street when they spotted the Lost Souls Private Connelly had talked about. They didn't look all that scary as Cassandra had originally imagined them to be. They had blueish-white cloaks. No body parts were visible. However, they still ran chills up Cassandra's spine. Emma nudged her.

"Come on," she said. "You're not afraid, are you?" Cassandra shook her head rapidly.

"No, I'm not!" she said in protest. Cassandra pulled her wand from her belt. "Let's just chase these things away. How many do you think we need to get?" Emma shrugged.

"About three?" Emma drew her wand from her belt. "Let's do this." The two girls ran into the street. Immediately Emma was met with a Lost Soul. The dueling circle appeared beneath her. Cassandra motioned for her to take her place, which she did. Emma narrowed her eyes at the Lost Soul in front of her. She drew her Fire Cat.

The soul attacked first. It drew the snowflake symbol, moaning out something Emma didn't understand. The circle turned into ice. The ice beetle appeared in the center. Instead of ramming her, like Emma had seen an ice beetle do before, it blew a jet of ice at her.

"N-N-No fair…" Emma said as her body temperature dropped. She looked over to see Cassandra laughing into her hand from the sidelines. "Not funny!"

"Sorry," said Cassandra as she laughed a little less. "Cast your spell." Emma drew the flame.

" _Ignis Felis_!" she shouted. The Fire Cat swiped at the Lost Soul. Apparently, it was enough. The Soul was pulled into the ground, and the duel circle disappeared. Emma rushed over to her sister, the cold feeling only in her fingertips.

"That wasn't funny," she said.

"Too be fair, it was," Cassandra responded. Emma narrowed her eyes.

"Alright then, genius. You go and defeat one of them." Cassandra sighed and ran out into the street, pulling a Lost Soul into battle. Cassandra drew a Frost Beetle. As the soul did nothing, it meant that she was going to attack first. Cassandra drew the snowflake.

" _Frost Bille_!" she chanted. A frost beetle appeared in the middle of the circle. It rammed into the soul, which was immediately pulled into the ground. Cassandra went over to her sister.

"Still not fair," said Emma. "Let's do the next one together."

"Are you sure you don't want to warm up?" Cassandra laughed.

"Haha, enough puns." The two girls ran into the street. A nearby lost soul pulled them into the battle. Both girls drew their cards. The soul went first. It drew a snowflake. However, instead of something appearing in the circle, the soul appeared in it. It flew over to Cassandra, passing through her before returning to its place.

"That felt… weird…" said Cassandra, shaking her hands. Emma laughed. The pyromancer drew the flame and looked at her card.

" _Minor percusserit_!" A small ball of flame hit the soul. Cassandra drew the snowflake.

" _Liten Streik_!" she chanted. A small ball of ice hit the soul. It was pulled into the ground. Emma and Cassandra laughed. Emma turned to the other souls behind them. She raised an eyebrow. There were far fewer than when they began. Only a few remained.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Do you want to end up like them?!" Cassandra waved her wand from behind. Several minor ice strikes hit the ground. The souls fled. "Yeah, you better run! Er… flee!" Emma sighed. "This is confusing." Cassandra laughed as she slid her wand in her belt.

"It's fine. The souls are gone," she said. "We should tell Private Connelly." Emma nodded as the pair walked back to the plaza.

"Hey, I wonder who got rid of the other souls." Cassandra shrugged.

"They probably left after seeing us fight." Emma hummed as they walked back to the guard.

* * *

"Private Connelly!" Emma called out as they approached the man. "We got rid of the Lost Souls!"

"That's turned the tides for us!" Connelly exclaimed. "We'll follow your lead, and get back to work. If only we knew what was causing this spread of the undead…"

"Spread?" Cassandra asked with curiosity. "You don't know why the Lost Souls were here?"

"No one does."

"Well, is there anything else we can do to help?" asked Emma as she put her hands behind her head. It only took a second for the guard to come to an answer.

"You should talk to Ceren Nightchant, if you want to help," he said. "He's in charge of the group trying to solve another problem here. You should see if he needs any help." Cassandra nodded.

"Do you know where he is?" she asked.

"Unicorn Park. Not too far from here."

"Thank you." The girls waved goodbye and headed off to the park. It also didn't take them a long time to find Ceren Nightchant, as there was only one boy in the park. He was dressed in a green robe with a hood and held a wooden staff with leaves on it. A bag was slung across his shoulder.

Emma walked up behind him and tapped him on his shoulder. The boy turned to face them.

"Are you Ceren Nightchant?" she asked. The boy nodded.

"Greetings," said Ceren. "Can I help you two? Students that aren't with me are not to be allowed on the street."

"I'm Emma. This is my sister, Cassandra," Emma said, motioning towards her sister. "Ambrose sent us to help solve whatever's going on here. We already drove out the Lost Souls, so…"

"I do have a problem, but the other two students that have come with me are already solving it." Emma sighed, rolling her eyes. Cassandra cleared her throat.

"Do you think that maybe you could use some more help?" she asked. "There are safety in numbers."

"I suppose you're right." Emma perked up and her attention was regained.

"Can you tell us what you know so far?" Ceren nodded.

"Professor Moolinda Wu sent me here to see the if the rumors are true," Ceren explained. "The guards won't allow me to go further, but they seemed to allow you and the other two students to pass." Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Other students?" she asked. "And what rumors?"

"A student and his partner obtained permission to help me. I sent them down the street, but they haven't returned yet." Emma nodded slowly.

"And the rumors?"

"The rumors about the fairies. If you travel farther down the street, you'll understand. But, could you check if their true? Just walk down Unicorn Way and see if you can find any fairies. If they attack, you'd best know how to defend yourself. And if you see two students, please send them back to me." Emma and Cassandra nodded.

"Sure. Why not?" Emma said. "I would want to see a few fairies."

"It seems like an opportunity to see more of the magic here," added Cassandra. "We'll do it."

"Great!" said Ceren as the girls headed off down Unicorn Way.

* * *

The girls walked side-by-side down Unicorn Way, talking to each other excitedly. Cassandra was chattering the most.

"What do you think the fairies will look like?" she asked with a smile. Emma laughed.

"You're really excited about the fairies, aren't you?" Cassandra nodded.

"Yes, I mean, it's technically the first magical creatures we will come in contact with that wasn't in a duel," she said. "I can tell you're excited as well." Emma shrugged.

"Maybe a little." Cassandra laughed. "You're acting like a little kid on Christmas!"

"You mean you on Christmas." Emma laughed. Her laughter ceased suddenly and she stopped. Cassandra looked at her sister. "Emma?" Emma nudged Cassandra and motioned for her to look ahead. She did and her smile faded. Roaming around the streets in front of them were fairies, but… they didn't look right. The had unnaturally pale skin, coarse black hair, purple shirts, shorts and boots. Their wings were a saturated magenta.

"Are they suppose to look like that?" asked Emma. Cassandra pulled out her spellbook and opened it. She shook her head before putting it away.

"Not at all," answered the thaumaturge. "They're supposed to be… brighter…" Emma opened her mouth to speak. However, a voice from farther down the street interrupted her. They were voices, which were coming closer. The girls had no time to react when two people turned a corner and ran right into them. All four fell to the ground in one heap of bodies.

Emma groaned and pushed the three on top of her off. She brushed off the dust on her clothing before she turned and help Cassandra to her feet.

"You alright, Cass?" she asked. Cassandra nodded.

"I'm fine," said the blonde. Emma turned to the other two with flames in her narrowed eyes. Standing across from them were two boys, Ravenwood students by the way they were dressed.

The first had messy, black hair that was as dark as the midnight sky hidden under his hat. His eyes were a bright green and matched the color of fresh grass. He seemed to stand rather timidly, and after spying the girls, he had turned as red as a tomato. The robes he wore were green with a brown trim. His wand looked like a normal stick.

The second boy seemed more intimidating than the first. His shaggy hair was brown like tree bark. His own narrowed eyes were a dark blue. He had a smooth tan smeared on his skin. The robes he wore were yellow with a royal blue trim. The wand in his hand looked a magician's wand- straight and black with the tip being white.

"Watch where you're going, will you?" said Emma. "You could have hurt us."

"We're sorry about-" the black-haired boy tried to say before he was interrupted.

"We're sorry that we're on an important mission," said the brunette. "Students are not allowed in Unicorn Way. Why don't you go back to Ravenwood and blow something up, Pyromancer?" Emma growled.

"Who do you think you are, telling me what to do!?" she snapped.

"A Conjurer." Emma gritted her teeth together.

"Cass! Explain!" Cassandra nodded with hesitance. She pulled out her book and opened it.

" _Myth is imagination. The power of the mind, and everything it can create, drives Myth Magic,_ " Cassandra read aloud. The brunette rolled his eyes. " _It is illusion and dreams made real. If the Wizard can conceive it, it can be brought forth and even brought to life. Beware, though, for when imagination becomes too fanciful and whimsical, dreams can escape control and run wild. Wizards of the Myth School, known as Conjurers, use Naming to summon beasts of legend by memorizing and calling out their True Name. Myth Masters will train their students to summon minions. Myth Wizards eventually get six different types of minions, each with a little different function. They have their own moderate damage spells with moderate accuracy, but a lot of their more functional spells deal with buffing, healing, and protecting their minions. They also have the ability of taking down defenses on other players, so if someone is stacking a bunch of defensive spells, a Myth wizard can get rid of them._ "

"Yeah, I'm a Myth wizard," said the brunette. "Like I said, run along back to school. You and your icy friend aren't needed here."

"We can't even go back to Ravenwood!" Emma continued loudly, her eyes flaring up. "Cass and I can't even get enrolled until all this is done with!"

"So you came here why?" the Conjurer said lazily. Cassandra covered Emma's mouth before she could say anything else.

"Professor Ambrose sent us," she explained. "We already cleared the Lost Souls."

"But we did that…" said the black haired boy. "I guess we helped each other out, huh?" He laughed a little. As he was the only one laughing, it was rather uncomfortable and he stopped. "Sorry."

"Thank you for the help," Cassandra said politely. She removed her hand from Emma's mouth. "Um… Are you the students Ceren Nightchant sent us looking for?" The black haired boy nodded slightly.

"Yes, we're those students," he said. "My name is Andrew. My partner here is Logan Bane. Don't worry about him. He may be rude, but he has his good qualities."

"Nice to meet you, even if it's in these circumstances. I'm Cassandra Willow. This is my sister and wizard partner, Emma." Emma waved a bit, although she still appeared angry.

"Yeah… hi and all that," she said. "What took you two so long down here?"

"We were about to report back to Ceren, Fireball," said Logan. "And then these dark fairies appeared."

"It's sad really," said Andrew. "I used to love playing with the fairies when I was a little kid. I knew most of them."

"Do we take them out?" Emma said. Andrew shook his head.

"Logan and I were able to reduce their numbers a few. We were about to go back to Ceren. Care to join us?"

"Yes," Cassandra said quickly. "Yes we should. Let's go." Without another word, the group began to walk back to Ceren Nightchant. However, they didn't get far, as they were cornered by a couple dark fairies. Two of them. They pulled the four into a duel.

"Great…" Emma said sarcastically as she drew her Fire Cat. "And I still can't feel my fingers." Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you use the wisps to heal yourself?" he asked.

"Wisps? Sorry, but we're new here. We have no idea what that is." Emma looked over at her sister, who nodded.

"It's a long story," said Cassandra. The first dark fairy cut their conversation short. Unlike most creatures, this one could speak. She drew the scale.

" _Scarab_!" she squeaked out. The circle become like wood. A large, brown wood-like beetle appeared. It charged and ran at Logan. The second fairy drew the leaf. She appeared in the center of the circle. She flew in the area and charged at Andrew. The tide turned towards the wizards. Emma drew the flame.

" _Ignis Felis_!" she chanted. The Fire Cat appeared. It charged at the first fairy, and erupted into flames where she was standing. The next person to attack was Logan. He drew the triangle eye.

" _Rópalo Tou Aímatos!_ " he chanted. In the center, a large brown bat with torn wings appeared. It stuck out its large, thick red tongue, spitting out some green things. It flew over to the second fairy, attacking her with it wings before disappearing.

Next was Cassandra. She drew the snowflake.

" _Frost Bille_!" she shouted. Her Frost Beetle appeared, and rammed into the first fairy. The fairy curled up into a ball, as if in pain, and exploded into fairy dust. This left the last on for Andrew to finish off. He drew the leaf.

" _Inpu_!" he said. An imp appeared in the center. It was green and looked a bit like a deformed goblin with wings. He laughed, and sent musical notes at the final fairy. They hit her, and the fairy exploded into dust. As the duelling circle disappeared, the boys dragged the girls onto the sidewalks.

"I suggest sticking to the sidewalks," suggested Andrew. "For some reason, the creatures that can harm us don't come near here." Cassandra nodded.

"Alright. Let's get going," she said. The group began making their way back to the park. Emma looked over at Logan.

"Wisps?" she asked. Logan looked over at her.

"How could you not know about wisps?" he said. Emma narrowed her eyes. "They're those red and blue things flying around here. Red restores health. Blue is Mana. Speaking of which…" Logan pulled up his left sleeve, revealing his own wristband. It was gold like Emma's, but the symbol was a yellow eye inside a triangle with a royal blue background. Logan tapped the red crystall ball. Yellow numbers showed up, displaying his health.

 _HEALTH: 359/447_

"Not too bad," Logan muttered out loud. He dismissed the numbers and dropped his sleeve. He looked around. Running a little up ahead, he ran over to a floating red cloud. He ran straight through it. The cloud circled around him, absorbing into his skin. "That's a wisp, Fireball!" He tapped his red crystal ball again. The numbers had changed.

 _HEALTH: 447._

Emma smirked. She ran up and caught her own red wisp. She took a look at her health. It read 447 as well. Her full health.

"Thanks," said Emma as she walked into the park. "Myth-Boy." Logan raised an eyebrow, allowing Cassandra and Andrew to catch up with him. They had caught some wisps as well, filling both their mana and health.

"Your sister is horrible with nicknames, Cass," said Andrew. Cassandra sighed.

"Don't call me 'Cass'," she said as they entered the park. "Only Emma calls me that."

"And we can't?" said Logan.

"She's my sister. It's different… That and it's been fourteen years. I couldn't get her to stop."


	4. Fight the Fairies!

**Chapter Four: Fight the Fairies!**

* * *

Emma, Cassandra, Logan and Andrew arrived back at the park, where Ceren Nightchant was waiting for them.

"Hey, Ceren!" said Andrew as they walked up.

"There you two are," said the older student. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by a bunch of fairies," Logan answered. "They weren't right."

"He's right, Ceren. About the fairies," added Cassandra. "Emma and I saw them, too. They looked… dark."

"They were dark fairies," said Emma. "Unicorn Way's swarming with them. Like bugs. Dark bugs. ... Is there a magic version of bug spray...?"

"Unicorn Way's swarming with evil fairies?!" repeated Ceren in surprise. "They have been corrupted, just as I feared."

"We couldn't even change them back by defeating them," Andrew added. His voice was dripping sadness.

"What? That's really bad!" Ceren sighed. "Apparently, dark forces are at work here in Wizard City. Some dark element has emerged despite Ambrose's attempts to keep us safe. Thank you for letting me know. Just wait a moment while I alert the others."

* * *

The four sat at the pond in the park. They had promised to wait until Ceren was finished informing Ravenwood about what was happening. Cassandra was by the water, running her fingers through it. Andrew walked over at sat beside her.

"I'm sorry about Logan's behaviour when we first met," he said. Cassandra looked up at him. "But like I said, he's a good guy when you get to know him." Cassandra nodded. She bit her lip for a second before speaking.

"If you don't mind me asking, what type of wizard are you?" she asked. Andrew gave her a quizzical look, looking down at his robes. "My sister and I were raised in a world without magic. We don't know much about the Spiral. Sorry if you were bothered by my asking." Andrew laughed.

"No, it's fine," he said. "I'm a Theurgist." Cassandra raised her eyebrow. "Why don't you look up it your spellbook? I think that book's pretty cool." Cassandra turned red.

"What about your spellbook?" she asked. Andrew shrugged.

"I was supposed to have one. But it was badly damaged when Logan and I performed an… experiment… with spells." Cassandra nodded. She pulled her spellbook out of her bag and opened it to the section on theurgists.

" _Life is spirit, the force of awareness and existence. It is about constant growth and movement. Practitioners of Life Magic, known as Theurgists, are positive, enthusiastic people who seek to appreciate the simple pleasures,"_ read Cassandra loud enough so only Andrew could hear. _"At times, however, they can be too flighty or frivolous when circumstances demand otherwise. Theurgists use Songs to breathe life and spirit into a vessel. Unlike other magic, which relies on summoning, coercing or beseeching, Life Magic harnesses the power of the Song of Creation to create something new. Scholars believe that Theurgy channels the tapestry of music from which the Spiral was created, and that in echoing portions of the great symphony, a Wizard can bring forth and create Life where none previously existed. Life Masters will train their students to heal themselves and other wizards. Life Wizards are given the ability to heal themselves the most effectively, as well as the unique ability to heal others. Combined with this, they do low to moderate damage attack spells with extremely high accuracy rates. They also possess the sole group heal spells_." Cassandra shut her book and put it away. "So you're a healer?" Andrew shook his head.

"I don't have my first healing spell yet," he said. "But I hope that once we get this fixed, I could learn one."

"Hey guys!" shouted Emma as she walked over to them. "Ceren wants to see us." The Theurgist and the Thaumaturge stood up and followed the Pyromancer to where Ceren and the Conjurer were waiting.

"What did they say?" Andrew asked almost immediately.

"They thanked you for helping us on Unicorn Way," said Ceren.

"But what about the fairies?" asked Andrew, impatiently.

"Right," Ceren said. "My friends always tell me I never leave well enough alone." His expression turned serious. "But this time, something foul is afoot, I'm sure of it! You four can help me get to the bottom of this curse upon Wizard City!"

"What can we do?" asked Emma before the other three could speak.

"Do you know Lady Oriel, the Seraph? She might understand what happened to the fairies. Speak with her in the Hedge Maze. Andrew should know where it is."

"I do," said the black-haired boy. "Come on! Follow me!" He sprinted off down the street. The other three followed after him.

* * *

Logan, Emma and Cassandra finally caught up to Andrew halfway down the street. The Life Wizard laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I haven't been to the Hedge Maze in a while."

"You're really close to the fairies, aren't you?" asked Cassandra as all four slowed their run to a walk. Andrew nodded.

"Yeah, you could say I am." Andrew hopped onto the curb of the sidewalk, holding out his arms for balance. "I've been around them since I was four years old. I grew up with Life Magic."

"Is that why you're a Theurgist?" asked Emma. Andrew stopped for a second, as if frozen. Then, he continued to move and nodded as if nothing had ever happened.

"Yeah…" The walk became silent. Andrew stopped when they came to a dead end. However, there was a door on the wall that cut them off.

"There it is!" he said, picking up his pace. "Hurry up!" Logan sighed as Cassandra and Emma chased after him.

"Andrew, slow your roll!" he shouted as he ran to catch up with the other three wizards. Andrew jogged up to the door and opened it, allowing everyone to enter inside the Hedge Maze.

* * *

Cassandra's eyes widened when they entered the Maze. Tall, thick hedges lined the area, which made sense seeing as the place was called the Hedge Maze. In the center, there were tall pillars in formed a circle. In the circle, was a beautiful woman.

She had curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a long, sleeveless white gown and had a golden crown in her hair. On her back were glossy white angel wings, which she was using to levitate herself above the ground. In her hand was a sword.

Andrew motioned for the other three to follow him as he walked towards the woman. Cassandra looked around the area. Flying around the area were very few fairies. They had color to their skin, and wore yellow shirts, shorts and boots. Their hair was blonde, and their wings were a bright gold. They left multicolored dust as they flew around the maze. Cassandra received a sharp jab to the ribs, and she stopped. Her eyes narrowed at her sister. Emma motioned over to the woman in the center, whom they were now standing in front of.

"Lady Oriel!" said Andrew, getting her attention. He bowed in front of her before snapping up straight. The seraph turned to face him. A small smile grew on her face.

"It is great to see you again, young wizard," she said kindly. "Who are your companions?"

"I'm Emma Willow," said Emma, waving her hand.

"My name is Cassandra," Cassandra answered, bowing her head.

"Logan Bane," Logan said simply.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Lady Oriel. "What brings you all here?"

"We-" Andrew said as he gestured to the other three behind him, "came to help with the fairy problem." Lady Oriel grew happier.

"Oh, praise the light! Someone has come at last! Something has been corrupting my fairies! Since you have come to help me in my hour of need, use these in future battle." Lady Oriel waved her hand. Flashes of gold light appeared in the hands of the wizards. Cassandra looked down at it. It was a golden spell card with a picture of a seraph on it. She shrugged, hoping to find out what it meant later on. She dropped it in her spell deck as the conversation continued.

"Thank you all for coming at this dark time," continued Lady Oriel. "If you are as brave as you look, I know you will help save my fairies."

"What exactly do you need us to do?" asked Logan, getting straight to the point.

"Please go out to Unicorn Way and defeat some of those dark fairies. Collect the dust that they drop. About three of them should provide enough dust. With that I will be able to find out more about their corruption." Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra could see Andrew's expression fall. "I know it is a dark task, but it must be done. Take care, young wizards."

"Yes, Lady Oriel," said Andrew in a flat tone. He turned and exited. Logan, Emma and Cassandra followed after him.

* * *

Andrew stood outside the Hedge Maze, watching the dark fairies roam the streets. He felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn. Standing behind him were Logan, Emma and Cassandra. He smiled a bit.

"Hi, guys," he said. "You ready to get the fairy dust?" Logan crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. Andrew felt sweat prick his neck.

"Alright, 'Drew," said Logan. "I may have known you for about a week, but I know that something's biting you."

"We just met you today, and even we can tell," added Emma. Andrew laughed weakly.

"You can?" he said. Cassandra placed a hand on his shoulder. It felt cold.

"I may not know you well, but I'm guessing it has to do with the fairies," she said. Andrew sighed and nodded.

"Yeah…" he said. "I was friends with the ones who became corrupted. I came here to find a way to turn them back. Not kill them."

"Look, do you want to help the fairies or not?" said Logan. Andrew nodded. "Then we have to off a few to get the dust to help them. Maybe Lady Oriel could whip up a spell or something to change them back." Andrew sighed.

"Alright. It's only three, right?"

"Right," answered Emma. "Now, let's get that fairy dust!" They four ran out into the street, dragging three fairies into battle.

* * *

Logan bent down, gathering the remains of the fairies in a small bag. He held it up to the other three.

"Got it," he said as he walked back over to them. He dropped it in Andrew's hands.

"I don't want to hold it," said the theurgist. "Cassandra, you hold it." He tossed it to the thaumaturge, who caught it in her hands.

"Really?"

"It's the remains of my dead friends, I don't want to hold it!" Logan sighed as the four headed back into the Hedge Maze.

* * *

"Lady Oriel!" called out Cassandra, getting the Seraph's attention. She held up the fairy dust as they approached her. "We're back."

"You returned with the fairy dust!" said the seraph in joy. "Please give it to me so I can investigate the reason for their corruption." Cassandra walked forward. She dropped the bag in Lady Oriel's hands. The woman examined its contents. To everyone's surprise, she dropped the bag on the ground. Emma looked up at her. She was shocked and looked visibly shaken.

"What is it?" Andrew asked nervously.

"They have been enchanted by something that is undead!" Lady Oriel cried. The group paled with shock. Andrew's hands clenched together. "This does not bode well. How has evil become so brazen in this place? These are dark times indeed." Lady Oriel sighed. "Here. take these as my way of thanking you for helping me collect the fairy dust. I know it wasn't an easy task."

"What else do you need us to do, Lady Oriel?" asked Andrew. "I want to solve this problem as quickly as possible. I want to save the fairies."

"As do I," added Cassandra. Emma put her hands on her hips.

"Count me in," said the Pyromancer. Logan shrugged.

"I guess I'm in too," he said. Andrew smiled a bit before turning back to the seraph.

"What can we do?" asked the theurgist.

"I have heard that someone has hung bone cages along the street," Lady Oriel explained. "I fear these are being used to trap my fairies and corrupt them."

"I noticed those," mentioned Logan. "I just thought that it was just some weird decoration or something." Emma elbowed him from behind. Logan narrowed his eyes at her.

"Please, you must free the captured fairies from those horrible bone cages before they become corrupted. Go quickly, my friends."

* * *

The four wizards stood outside the Hedge Maze, looking around the street. Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Great…" she said sarcastically. "By the looks of things, there are bone cages every five feet."

"We should split up!" said Andrew with a snap of his fingers.

"That is the worst idea I've ever heard. In every situation that I have ever heard of involving the undead, every time someone splits up, someone ends up dead. And it's usually not pretty." Andrew shivered.

"I'm scared to ask what world in the Spiral you grew up on where the undead are that common it's a problem…" Emma opened her mouth to answer, but Cassandra covered it.

"A very different world than this," she answered. Emma nodded. "But Andrew has the right idea." Emma raised an eyebrow before removing Cassandra's hand.

"Cass...?" Andrew grinned.

"I do?" he said.

"He does?" Logan said suspiciously. Cassandra nodded.

"We split off into groups of two," she explained. "One will take the Northern half of the street up by the park. The other two will take the Southern half near the maze. Sound like a plan?" There was a chorus of agreement. "Great, Emma and I will-" Before Cassandra finished her sentence, Andrew grabbed her hand.

"You and I can cover the northern half," said the Theurgist before darting off down the street, dragging the Thaumaturge behind him.

"Andrew!" shouted Logan. "Get back here!"

"Give me back my sister!" Emma shouted simultaneously. Emma groaned before looking over at Logan. "So… were stuck together, huh?" Logan rolled his eyes before walking down the street.

"Hurry up, Fireball!" Logan called out. Emma ran to catch up with him.

* * *

It was an awkward silence as the wizards walked side-by-side, opening up the bone cages along the road. Emma looked over at Logan. He was being stoic and silent. It annoyed every fiber of her being. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. The silence was killing her.

"Oi," Emma said, finally breaking the silence after a few minutes. Logan looked up at her as he opened a cage. "Say something. Your silence is creeping me out."

"How about this?" said Logan. "No." He walked past her and to another cage. Emma whirled around and followed.

"Oh, come on! You can't be silent the whole time!" Logan opened another cage, looking over at Emma with narrowed eyes.

"Yes. I can." Emma growled, following after Logan's quicker paced steps.

"Why did I have to get stuck with you?! How Andrew even deals with you and your… your… personality is a complete mystery!" Logan slammed the door to an empty bone cage shut. He glared over at Emma. There was a storm in his eyes.

"It's not like he wanted to be with me in the first place," Logan stated, heading towards another bone cage. Emma, with a curious look, followed after Logan.

"What do you mean?" The Conjurer looked over at Emma.

"Exactly what I said. Andrew didn't want to be my partner. I didn't want to be his. We were forced to be on our first day here." Emma sighed. It was much like her and Cassandra. Only she and Cassandra had been together all their lives. They knew each other's differences, similarities, weaknesses and strengths. They could work like a well-oiled machine. Andrew and Logan didn't seem that way. But they did seem like friends. So… what happened to change all of that?

"Hey, Hothead." Emma snapped out of her thoughts, looking over at Logan. "Did you hear a word I said?" Emma shook her head. Logan groaned. "That was the last cage, numbnuts. Let's get back to the Hedge Maze."

"I knew that." Logan rolled his eyes as they walked on back towards the maze.

"Sure you did."

* * *

A few minutes after Logan and Emma made it back to the Hedge Maze, Andrew and Cassandra showed up. They seemed in much better mood than their partners were.

"I take it you two released the fairies on the South end?" asked Andrew. Logan nodded.

"I did. Bonfire here did nothing but complain," Logan explained. Emma narrowed her eyes, glaring at Logan with flames in her brown orbs.

"Hey, we don't need to hear it from the jury!" Emma said, grabbing Cassandra's hand. "Let's just go."

* * *

They entered the Hedge Maze. Unlike before, the Maze was swarming with fairies. As the four wizards approached Lady Oriel, a fairy even came up to them with a large smile on her face.

"Thank you for helping out the fairies! They did not mean to be evil, but the corruption made them do bad things…" she said in her high-pitched voice. "Now, there is hope again and the fairies will be able to bring magic and cheer to the people of Wizard City once more. Thank you, young wizards." The fairy flew up to Logan, placing her small lips on his cheek. The boy turned bright red as she flew off. There was laughter from the other wizards. They walked forward to Lady Oriel.

"We thank you, young wizards!" said Lady Oriel when she saw the four, "The freed fairies have already told me of your heroism. Your deeds will be remembered here on Unicorn Way."

"You're welcome, m'lady," said Andrew as he bowed to the seraph.

"To show my appreciation, here is a healing spell. I'm afraid I only have the one spell card, but I hope you will remember it in your time of need." In a flash of gold light, a green spell card appeared before the wizards. No one reached out to it. Cassandra nudged Andrew.

"You take it," she said. Andrew stared up at the card.

"Me?" he asked. "Why me?"

"You're the healer, you stick," said Logan. "It only makes sense." Andrew held out his hand and took the card. He slid it into his spell deck.

"So… now that the fairies are free," said Emma, "What do we do now?"

"We must now find out who is behind the corruption," explained Lady Oriel. "My Fairies whispered of a monster whose bones made a clacking sound as it came for them." Andrew went as stiff as stone when he heard the wo4d bones. "Ceren Nightchant knows Unicorn Way very well. He will know if there is a sinister skeleton that now haunts my street."

"Right away, my lady," said Cassandra. The four wizards dragged Andrew out of the Hedge Maze.

* * *

"Andrew, use your legs. I'm not carrying you anymore."

Andrew had been like a wooden dummy since the four wizards left the Hedge Maze. Tired of dragging the boy behind them, Logan volunteered to carry Andrew on his back. Even though he was light, Logan had begun getting tired of carrying him.

"Alright," sighed Andrew. He slid off of Logan's back and onto the sidewalk.

"What is that about, anyway?" asked Emma as they continued walking. "All Lady Oriel said was 'bones' and you become boneheaded."

"I… um…" Andrew stuttered, pulling on the collar of his robes. "I have a problem with Death magic. I get… very uncomfortable around it." Emma and Cassandra looked at him curiously. They wondered why.

The group wasn't far from Unicorn Park. Andrew seemed to relax. When they finally got to Ceren, Emma called out for his attention. They explained what they had done.

"Lady Oriel sent you to investigate the corruption of of the fairies?" said Ceren once the story was done. Logan nodded.

"I think we did pretty well," he said. "Lady Oriel told us you might know who's behind it."

"I will gladly tell you what I know. When the Dark Fairies began to show up, I had suspected Lady Blackhope. But even she has never tried to enchant fairies before."

"The Fairies told us about a skeleton coming to get them when they were captured," Cassandra added.

"Then the fairies gave report of a skeleton? Of course! Who else could it be but Rattlebones!"

"Rattlebones?" repeated Emma. "Sounds like a skeleton to me."

"Rattlebones is a dangerous being," Andrew said, rather out of nowhere. "He is a sergeant in an undead army. Ceren, do you know where to find him?" Ceren nodded.

"I do not know yet what dark master has aided him, but Rattlebones has taken over my old friend Delia's tower. Take this with you," said Ceren. He withdrew a key and handed it to Cassandra. "Find him in the tower and stop him from making anymore cages. Please… do what you can to save the fairies."

"We will," said Cassandra. "Andrew, do you know where the tower is?" Andrew replied with a nod.

"I do. Follow me," he said before running off down the street. Emma, Logan and Cassandra chased after him.

* * *

Andrew lead his fellow wizards down Unicorn Way and towards Delia's tower. Cassandra unlocked the door with Ceren's key. The door creaked open.

"If that doesn't scream 'creepy'," said Emma as they entered, "I don't know what does." Logan harshly shushed her.

"Hey, Hothead," he whispered. "Keep your mouth shut! Do you want him to hear us coming?" Emma mouthed his words behind his back as they traveled up the staircase. The first floor they came to, Cassandra eased the door open.

Standing in the middle of the room was an old skeleton in leather armor. It had to be Rattlebones. Beside him was a Dark Fairy. He didn't notice the four students until there was a loud creak. He turned. There was only one eye still in its socket.

"Oi, Bonehead!" said Logan. "We know your behind the Fairy plot. Don't even try to deny it."

"That's right!" added Emma. "Lady Oriel herself sent us to stop you!"

"But wasn't it Cer-" began Cassandra before Emma hushed her.

"You cannot stop us, wizards! The corruption of the Fairies is just the beginning of Malistaire's plans," said Rattlebones. The wizards, with the exception of Logan, gasped. Logan's eyes narrowed. "Soon, Wizard City will fall and there isn't anything anyone can do about it." Rattlebones laughed. The duel began.

"I'll handle the dark fairy," said Andrew as he drew his card.

"I got your back," said Emma.

"That leaves Rattlebones to us," Logan said as he withdrew his spell card. "Two spells and two minor strikes should handle them."

"Right."

The duel circle pointed to Rattlebones and his fairy first. Rattlebones drew the Death symbol.

" _Sprite Întuneric_!" he said in his raspy voice. What looked like a Dark fairy appeared in the circle. It flew around Logan, drawing energy and life from his body. When it was gone, Logan gasped for air. The duel circle turned to the fairy.

" _Inpu_!" she said, drawing the symbol for Life. The small imp appeared in the center, sending an attack towards Cassandra. She threw up her arms to stop it, but the magic took its effect and damaged her.

The duel circle gave the wizards their turn. Emma stood first. She drew her flame.

" _Ignis Felis_!" she chanted. The Fire Cat pounced into the circle and clawed at the dark fairy. She cried out, but still remained in battle. Next up was Logan. He drew his Myth symbol.

" _Rópalo tou Aímatos_!" he shouted. The holey-winged bat appeared in the circle. It struck Rattlebones multiple times with its wings. Cassandra withdrew her card, drawing the Ice symbol.

 _"Frost Bille!_ " she yelled. The ice beetle struck Rattlebones. Combined with the attack Logan had given him, Rattlebones collapsed into a simple pile of bones. Emma cheered.

"Nice one, sis!" she said. Cassandra smiled.

"Thank you." She turned to Andrew. "You know what to do." Andrew nodded. He drew the Life symbol.

" _Mainā Seikatsu Kegawa_!" he cried. A ball of green energy shot out from his wand and hit the Dark fairy. She exploded into dust. The circle faded. The wizards cheered.

"We did it," said Andrew with a small grin. "I can't believe we actually did it."

"We were great," Emma said. Cassandra took her sister's hands.

"We worked together," said Cassandra. "That's what we did."

"We should report back to Ceren," said Logan. He was on the other side of the room, kicking around Rattlebones's remains.

"Good idea."

* * *

The wizards returned to Unicorn Park with their heads held high. Ceren was even happier than they were with Rattlebones's defeat.

"You did it! Now, the Fairies will sing again!" he exclaimed. "You bested that wretched skeleton Rattlebones!" His excitement dwindled down enough for him to become a bit more serious. "I wish that was the end of our troubles in Wizard City, but I'm afraid a more sinister evil is out there." Emma, Cassandra, Logan and Andrew groaned.

"Thanks to you, Unicorn Way is in less danger than it was," continued Ceren, "But we are still not out of the dark woods yet. You should report our progress to Headmaster Ambrose. The news about Rattlebones may help him determine what doom has come to Wizard City. I'll stay here and help with the recovery."

* * *

Cassandra, Logan, Emma and Andrew made their way back to the Commons.

"You know, I can't believe we defeated a commander of the Undead, and it was all for nothing," said Logan.

"It wasn't for nothing," Andrew said. "We helped stop the corruption of the Fairies and saved lives that could have been lost."

"The stick has a point," Emma said with a cheeky grin. Logan looked over at her before releasing a small sigh.

"Whatever."


	5. Author's Announcement

**Ehh... it's been a while... Heheheh...**

 **Alright, here's the deal.**

 **I'm afraid I've been thinking about this story over the past few months and have come to a conclusion.**

 **I won't be... really getting rid of it.**

 **I shall be deleting and rewriting this story.**

 **I have been thinking about it for a very long time. And I really want to do this.**

 **I will be switching around characters, such as with one person's school, relations between two characters, and trying to fit a bit more easily in with the Wizard101 established lore. There are things that will remain the same, don't worry.**

 **I'll post an update when the first chapter is written and posted. Until then...**

 **I'll see you around.**


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